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Why are some cleansers marked "For Industrial or Commercial Use Only"? How are they different from household cleansers?

Question #115924. Asked by star_gazer.
Last updated Jun 09 2021.

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Zbeckabee star
Answer has 4 votes
Currently Best Answer
Zbeckabee star
Moderator
18 year member
11752 replies avatar

Answer has 4 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
They are stronger than "normal" household cleaners.

Main Entry: in·dus·tri·al–strength
Pronunciation: in-?d?s-tr?-?l-?stre?(k)th, -?stren(t)th
Function: adjective
Date: 1976
1 : suitable for industrial use
2 : marked by more than usual power, durability, or intensity

link https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/industrial-strength

Response last updated by satguru on Jun 09 2021.
Jul 12 2010, 7:38 AM
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star_gazer star
Answer has 3 votes
star_gazer star
22 year member
5236 replies avatar

Answer has 3 votes.
Untill the 1950s, most cleaning was done with soaps (fatty acids and lye) rather than detergents (made from alkaline substances). Unlike detergents, soap didn't need much water to add to its cleaning effectiveness. When using soap, consumers rarely added water.

When synthetic detergents were introduced in the 1950s, most home consumers didn't adjust properly. Manufacturers were forced to add water to detergents designed for home use because consumers wouldn't add enough water to the products to make them work effectively.

When you buy a cleanser in a big plastic bottle at the supermarket, you are carrying mostly a big container of water, the equivalent of buying a bottle of ready-to-drink ice tea rather than a jar of ice tea mix.

Industrial users have totally different priorities. They are quite willing to sacrifice a little convenience to save money; by buying a concentrated "industrial strength" product, companies can save on unnecessary packaging. Professional cleaners also realize that detergents must be diluted to work effectively. In almost all cases, cleansers that are "industrial strength" can be used at the home if diluted properly.

There is one other major difference in the ingrediants in these two types of cleaning products. Home consumers care very much about how their cleansers smell (Lemon scent, Mountain Breeze, Spring rain). In most cases, corporations do not; as a result, many household cleaners contain perfume to mask the smell of unpleasant chemical orders. Perfume jacks up the price of the product without adding anything to its cleaning ability.

link http://www.cleaningproductsworld.com/

Jul 12 2010, 4:57 PM
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